


and no rivers and no lakes could put the fire out

by passingsunlight



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 'what if in the finale katara used bloodbending against azula when she shoots the lightning', Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bloodbending (Avatar), Episode: s03e21 Sozin's Comet Part 4 Avatar Aang, Gen, and yeah, but its basically just a tiny change where i was like, its kind of dark, like not graphic but still dark, okay so this has been in my head for like for fucking ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 16:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21038957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/passingsunlight/pseuds/passingsunlight
Summary: Her focus is held by that burning spark of energy at Azula’s fingertips.Azula’s hand flashes out, but not towards Zuko.Katara moves instinctively.





	and no rivers and no lakes could put the fire out

**Author's Note:**

> i literally wrote and posted this in like two hours so it's entirely unreviewed, if you see any mistakes just let me know

Katara knows something bad is going to happen the second Zuko opens his mouth to taunt Azula.

Before then they’d been silent, save for the echoing roar of the flames and the sound of feet hitting the ground. No commotion from the palace, no bustling of carts and people evacuating the capitol could be heard from beyond the courtyard walls. Even the birds had gone quiet, as if the entire city were holding its breath as a battle raged within it.

“No lightning today? What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?”

”_Lightning?_”

Katara starts at Azula’s visible rage. Gone is the cold, dispassionate girl who had hunted them relentlessly for months on end; gone is the girl who had cleverly infiltrated the earth kingdom, who had met them in the palace on the day of black sun and toyed with them so subtly Sokka had only realized she was stalling when it was already too late. Instead, standing in front of Katara and Zuko, with her hair hanging limp from its bun, the messy strands chopped haphazardly from her face swinging as she screams, Azula looks unhinged.

“I’ll show you _lightning_!”

Unhinged, but no less dangerous, Katara is reminded as Azula draws herself up and swoops her arms around, creating bright blue streaks of electricity that dance around and between her pointed fingers. The movement comes to an end, Azula pauses, and Katara can hear Zuko take a steadying breath, can see him shift and center his weight out of the corner of her eye, can feel the hairs on her arms lift with the static in the air, all while her focus is held by that burning spark of energy at Azula’s fingertips. 

Azula’s hand flashes out, but not towards Zuko. 

Katara moves instinctively. 

One hand in front of the other and slightly raised, palms angled in and down, fingers splayed. Feet mirroring her hands, in line with each other. Nobody had ever formally taught her how to do this but the power flows through her all the same. Not just from her hands but her mind as well; a sickening rush she’s felt only twice before – on top of a haunted mountainside near a little fire nation village under the bright glow of the full moon; and on a mission fueled by rage and vengeance and a desire to _ hurt _, standing in the pouring rain with a frail, washed-out, sad old man sprawled on the ground in front of her.

Distantly, Katara registers screaming and a sound like an explosion, and it’s only when she hears Zuko yelling her name that she realizes she’s closed her eyes. She opens them to Zuko’s shocked face in front of her and feels everything drain away. There’s the sound of a body hitting the ground and they turn to see Azula, collapsed and twitching in the courtyard as smoke rises from her blackened fingers and blue sparks dance across her body before fading entirely.

“What… what happened?” Katara stumbles toward the crumpled form, revulsion creeping up in her stomach as she prepares herself for an answer she already knows.

“You—” Zuko cuts himself off sounding hollow, and puts an arm out to hold her back. “Azula was aiming for you. Not me. You… moved and she just. Stopped. I guess the lightning must have rebounded. Uncle warned me about that, once.”

Katara chokes on her breath and doubles over, coughing and retching.

“We have to… we have to do something!” She gasps out. Pulling away from Zuko’s hands, Katara runs over to where Azula lays, unmoving. Her pulse is barely there, and as Katara turns her, she can see vivid, branching burn marks through the singed holes in Azula’s clothes. 

“Zuko, you have to find someone, the sages, anyone, who can help. I’m going to do what I can here with what I have.” Katara pulls the water from her skein and covers her hands, preparing to heal. She looks back to find Zuko standing frozen, staring at the prone form of his sister. “Zuko!” His head snaps up to meet her gaze, eyes distant. “Go!” He nods jerkily, stumbling away until he finds his feet and then begins to run.

Katara turns back to Azula, the water growing faintly luminous as she sets her hands down, trying to focus on the worst of the burns.

“You didn’t deserve this,” she whispers, voice cracking as tears fill her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Nobody deserves this”

**Author's Note:**

> comments are always loved!!  
title from Seven Devils by Florence and the Machine (literally the most Azula song I've ever heard in my life)  
also the inspiration for Katara's pose is from this gif from The Puppetmaster: https://giphy.com/gifs/katara-KBlOV3CpdL332


End file.
